Scientists have created the first map of every cell in a pair of human lungs, giving hope of better treatment for millions of asthma sufferers.
The revolutionary 'atlas' will transform knowledge of the disease, according to the researchers who created it.
By comparing the cells to those of people with healthy lungs, scientists can better understand what causes the characteristics of asthma, including coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.
It has already led to an entirely new discovery of how cells produce more mucus in asthmatics.
British scientists have created the first map of every cell in human lungs, giving hope of better treatment for millions of asthma sufferers
Asthma affected more than 350million people worldwide in 2015. In the UK it blights the lives of one in 11 children (1.1 million) and one in 12 adults (4.3 million).
Study first author Dr Felipe Vieira Braga, of the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Hinxton, Cambridge, said: 'We have generated a detailed anatomical map of the respiratory airways, producing the first draft human lung cell atlas from both normal and asthmatic people.
'This has given us a better definition of the cell types in asthmatic lungs, and allowed us to discover an entirely new cell state in asthmatic patients that produces mucus.'
Asthma is a common but incurable condition which affects the small tubes inside the lungs.
It can cause them to become inflamed, or swollen, which restricts the airways and makes it harder to breathe.
The condition affects people of all ages and often starts in childhood. Symptoms may improve or even go away as children grow older, but can return in adulthood.
Symptoms include wheezing, breathlessness, a tight chest and coughing, and these may get worse during an asthma attack.
Treatment usually involves medication which is inhaled to calm down the lungs.
Triggers for the condition include allergies, dust, air pollution, exercise and infections such as cold or flu.
If you think you or your child has asthma you should visit a doctor, because it can develop into more serious complications like fatigue or lung infections.
Source: NHS
The mapping of the organ is part of a global project that started in 2016 called the Human Cell Atlas Initiative.
Over the next decade the team plans to discover how many cells we have, the different types and what they do in each organ.
Cells are fundamental to understanding the biology of good health and illnesses, so it's hoped the project will boost research into illnesses ranging from asthma to dementia, heart disease and cancer.
The first findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, identifies how lung cells communicate.
Asthma is caused by swelling of the tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs making it hard to get enough oxygen.
While it is often manageable with drugs, it can cause ongoing problems including the risk of severe, life-threatening attacks.
Shedding light between the differences between the cells of healthy and asthmatic lungs
